International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research Issue 5 volume 7, Nov. –Dec.

2015
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Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html ISSN 2249-9954

Study on exhaust emissions and its reduction techniques

in automotive engines

P.Sriraman*, R.Balasubramani1, V.Dhinesh², S.Dinesh³, R.Harnish4

*1234
Department of mechanical Engineering, Sri Ramakrishna Engineering
College, Coimbatore.
Abstract

The present study explores the various techniques in reducing the exhaust emission gases from the
automotive engines. Generally, Exhaust gas is emitted as a result of fuel combustion of any type. It is discharged
into the atmosphere through the numerous ways depending upon the type of engine. Motor vehicle emissions
highly contribute to the atmospheric pollution and to the other effects. So, their treatment were considered serious
throughout the entire discussion. These techniques were vividly explained by the various researchers in earlier.
However, the current paper feeds a platform to create a junction to list out the numerous techniques discussed by
the various researchers. Also, the study combined with some environmental causes founded as a result of such
exhausts.
NOx, being hazardous in nature, they are only the main constituent in the exhaust emitted from the moving
vehicles. Finally, the research get concentrated mainly on the treatment of NOx groups. NOx emission reduction
is the most commonly required one in all the researches on the vehicle engines but they are too hard to manipulate
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with the primary methods. Thus, the paper can also generates the challenge for the improvement in the techniques
that could cut down the emissions with the minimum level fuel penalty. Based on the various researches provided
over the last twenty years, best solutions are deducted and also a list is provided by summarizing the data from all
the previously published journals on the subject in the last two decades.

Keywords: Exhaust gas, NOx emission, Scavenging, EGR, Preignition, CFD.

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1. Introduction

1.1 Exhaust gas
The exhaust gas is actually a combination of
many different gases like NO, N2, CO2, H2O and
O2. Though some are harmless, there are few that
are harmful and are considered major pollutants.
One of the most dangerous of these is NOx and its
other related impurities. Nitrogen monoxides NO
and NO2 react with the mixture of ammonia to form
acidic solutions and other related particles. Among
those reactants, small particles get entered through
the lunch tissues and suffers them. They can also
leads to the premature death. During respiration,
they can also resulted into some respiratory
disorders like asthma and into some heart diseases.
One of the significant source for the NOx emission
is the on-road vehicles. Next to those, NOx can also
emitted from some non- road bodies too. Next to the
NOx, ozone is another major emissions from the
exhaust. Though, they are beneficial in the upper
atmosphere, they are the serious source for the
irritation of lungs and eyes. Ecosystem and living
organisms seems to be in trouble also due to these
gases. Carbon monoxide is the one which mainly
contributes to the air-poisoning. Though they are
colorless, tasteless and odourless, they are highly
toxic in nature. Carbon monoxide reacts with the
blood hemoglobin to form carboxy-haemoglobin
which reduce the effectiveness in supply of oxygen
all over the tissues. Benzenes nature affects the bone
marrow and weakens the joints all over the body.
Also the immune system of the human body tends to
lose its nature and goes abnormal and also leads to
excessive bleeding over the tissues. Leukemia is
another major disease causes along with the blood
cancers. The health effects of inhaling airborne
particulate matter have been seems to be serious in
all the living being and include asthma, lung cancer,
and premature death. Motor vehicle CO2 emissions
can also causes some climatic changes.

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International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research Issue 5 volume 7, Nov. –Dec. 2015
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Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html ISSN 2249-9954

Nomenclature

CO2 Carbon dioxide EGR Exhaust gas recirculation

NO Nitrogen monoxide.
BMEP Break mean effective pressure
NOx Nitrogen oxides
PHEM Passenger car and heavy duty emission model
PM Particulate matter
SI Spark ignition

CFD Computational fluid dynamics

1.2 Exhaust emission rate.

Component Emission Rate Annual pollution emitted

Hydrocarbons 2.80 grams/mile (1.75 g/Km) 77.1 pounds (35.0 kg)

Carbon monoxide 20.9 grams/mile (13.06 g/Km) 575 pounds (261 kg)
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NOx 1.39 grams/mile (0.87 g/Km) 38.2 pounds (17.3 kg)

Carbon dioxide - greenhouse gas 0.916 pounds per mile (258 g/km) 11,450 pounds (5,190 kg)
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2. Methodologies

2.1 Methods for NOx reduction

2.1.1 Pretreatment or conditioning of fuel and
combustion air
The combustion air and fuel are the two sources
only responsible for the ignition. Thus, it is
necessary to treat the both these sources. The fuel
can be converted into emulsified fuel. The
emulsified fuel, being the mixture of water and fuel,
the ignition level can be varied prominently and thus
the exhaust emission can be reduced. Next, it is
necessary to treat the combustion air. The spray
nozzle can be mounted near the intake manifold.
These nozzle may provide some moisture to the
atmospheric air entering the combustion chamber.
Thus, it also reduce the flame gas and exhaust
emission significantly.
2.1.2 Hardware design specification and
enhancement
With the help of analytical tools like
computational fluid dynamics (CFD), engine
manufacturers conduct extensive research in the
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combustion process of the engines. It can also
reduce the scavenging temperature and hence lower
the air injection ratio. These scavenging temperature
reduction can also be achieved by alternating the
combustion chamber geometry .The above actions
can follows more than 20 percent reduction in the
exhaust. By recirculating the exhaust gas, oxygen
content and its purity in the combustion air can be
reduced which can also help to reduce the exhaust
emissions.
2.1.3 Engine tuning or operational mode
Engine tuning is the most common task to reduce
the fuel penalty and to increase the efficiency of the
engine. However, it is also a responsibilities of the
engine manufacturers. Their Preignition angle of
crank over the cylinder can be altered. It helps to
retard the fuel injection timing in to the combustion
chamber.
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2.1.4 Conditioning the exhaust gas after combustion
The treatment of the exhaust also tends to reduce
the emission level considerably. It can be
experimented by the addition of ammonia to the
exhaust. These additions form the water vapour and
hence the concentration of the exhaust can be cut
down. But, ammonia is hazardous in nature and thus
they cannot be directly employed. Thus, urea, being
a mixture naturally rich in ammonia can be
preferred.
displacement of the oxygen in the fresh intake air
charge by inert gases, which causes a reduction in
the flame temperature because of the spatial
broadening of the flame due to the reduction in the
oxygen molar fraction.
The thermal effect, due to the increase in the
average specific heat capacity of the gases in the
combustion zone, since recirculated exhaust
contains CO2 and H2O with higher specific heat
than that of air

2.2. EGR effects on combustion and NOx formation
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is effective in
reducing NOx formation since it lowers the peak
flame temperature attained the combustion process.
Several effects may contribute to this result when the
intake gas is diluted with exhaust gases.
The dilution or oxygen displacement effect, i.e. the
reduction in the oxygen mass fraction due to the
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The chemical effect, i.e. the reduction in the
combustion temperature due to endothermic
chemical reactions, such as the dissociation of CO2
and H2O.Ladommatos and co-workers investigated
the importance of each of the above described
Mechanisms through a series of experiments, which
involved diluting the intake charge by means

Fig.1. Experimental correlation between NOx emissions (g/kW h) and intake O2 concentration (%).Different
symbols correspond to different engine operating points, ranging from 2 to 5 bar BMEP and from 1500 to 2000
+rpm.

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International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research Issue 5 volume 7, Nov. –Dec. 2015
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Fig. 2. NOx – Soot ‘‘trade-off’’ with and without EGR cooling (2000 rpm/5 bar BMEP)

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:
From the study, following discussions can be
deduced:
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3+.1 Combustion analysis: These analysis must be
made vital in order to get a better result in future.
Because, any SI engine never maintain any
consistency in its combustion process. Also, it is
observed that the higher the inconsistency in the
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in the level of carbon monoxide will highly suffer
the performance of engine. However, the increase in
carbon dioxide will probably enhance the
performance of any IC engines. Thus, these two
aspects must be remembered while operating any
engine in order to remain the performance
consistent.
3.3 Homogenous catalyst on the fuel mixture: By

adding any additional catalyst to the fuel mixture,

combustion process, higher will be the exhaust
emissions.
3.2 Concentration on engine performance: Though
the subject is framed mainly for the exhaust
emission reduction in engines, it is also necessary to
concentrate for the engine performance too. Increase
the break fuel consumption of any vehicle can be
gradually increased. However, the exhaust emission
level cannot be kept under control. It can be
increased by 6 % than the normal rate. Thus, it is
needed to concentrate on both the fuel efficiency and
in exhaust control.

Fig. 3. Comparison of calculated fuel consumption levels and CO2 emission factors.

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4. Conclusions
This project is primarily focused on the
exhaust emission and its reduction techniques. The
most available options are pre-treatment of the fuel
and the combustion air as described above.
Conditioning the fuel with water to produce a stable
water emulsion is considered the most suitable
option for large 2-stroke engines. But conditioning
the combustion air by water injection is not suitable
for 2-stroke engines as there is risk of water droplets
carry over to the combustion chamber. Thus, they
will be the progress in future and the treatment by
conditioning the air will be also made fit for the two
stroke and for the other IC engines.
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